A Grim Tale
by SilverDragonHawk
Summary: Just something I randomly thought of. Set in the summer after book 5. I'm not entirely sure if it's going to be a one shot or not.


Disclaimer: By now you all should know this. I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own any of the characters. I'm not getting paid. Don't sue.  
  
Harry Potter was once again at number 4 Privet Drive sitting on the porch.  
  
He blinked. The last thing he expected was standing right on his lawn. Even as a wizard, he had not expected this. And yet, he thought to himself, he should have known this existed. After all, dragons, unicorns, ghosts, magic in general really existed. So why not this, why was it so impossible for this to exist. Hell, it wasn't like a muggle would be surprised to see one; they would just think it to be an oversized dog. It wasn't like Sirius's animagus form was completely made up. All animagus' took the form of an animal. Not an imaginary idea. Therefore it had to exist.  
  
He walked up to the grim. It was just as described in the books. A big shaggy black dog, although unlike the divination books, this dog (grim, he mentally reminded himself) certainly didn't seem to be an omen of death. Her violet eyes shined with liveliness as she wagged her tail in a friendly gesture. She looked to be about 2 years old. It wasn't Sirius. He knew that much, otherwise, she would be a he, and this dog certainly wasn't a male or she would have lifted her leg as she relieved herself near the mailbox. Right on the paintbrush he used to paint it twenty minutes ago.  
  
Harry sighed and brought the hose over to the brush to wash it off.  
  
He pulled out the list in his pocket and checked to see what was left. He had painted the mailbox, for what reason he would never understand, trimmed the hedges, mowed the lawn, and planted the new bushes. All that was left was to water the flowers, which, he decided, probably wouldn't be a good idea since from the way the sky looked, it was about to rain. He then prepared everything for the night and brought it in.  
  
Normally he would have already refused to do the chores, which he did in the beginning of the summer, but he didn't really mind now. It was actually quite soothing, working with the yard. Maybe that was why Neville enjoyed herbology so much, although he certainly wouldn't consider the shriek of a Mandrake or clutches of Devil's Snare soothing.  
  
Moody had caught wind of the chores Harry was forced to do and had a word with Uncle Vernon. It was either let him be, pay him a respectable amount, or have Dudley do an even amount of work. There was no way Vernon would make his precious child work, and he was too cheap to pay professionals since, loathe as he was to admit it, Harry could do just as good a job. Often better. So Harry now, for once in his life, had pocket money in the muggle world. And a good amount at that.  
  
He turned to see if the grim was still there but she was gone. 'Oh well, she probably went to scrape up some food for herself.' He pushed the door open and went inside.  
  
Petunia was cooking dinner as Vernon sat on the couch watching the news and Dudley worked with his punching bag in the basement. A real punching bag and not a human for once; nor a Harry for that matter. The police had caught up with Dudley's gang and Vernon decided that the boys were simply helping Dudley to train and Dudley was just too strong for them. Never mind the fact that 'the boys' were ten years old. He needed something that wouldn't be harmed by the strength of his son. Hence the punching bag. As well as the rest of the gym they set up down there.most of it gathering dust though, as Dudley's only interest was hitting.  
  
The dementor incident had also diminished Dudley's urge to go out in the streets at night. Now he was simply terrorizing the children of the neighborhood in daylight, where he could do little to no harm with the threat of being caught again hanging over his head. Harry grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom to wash up, briefly wondering whether Ron and Hermione had taken advantage of the prefects bathroom, as the fleeting thought of swimming through the giant bathtub again came to mind.  
  
"Boys! Dinnertime!" Petunia announced. She had been considerably kinder to Harry over the past summer. Perhaps because she realized that Harry had saved Dudley's life last year or perhaps for fear that the Order would appear on her doorstep making the neighbors talk. Harry suspected the latter.  
  
"So Dudley, what have you been up to," Vernon asked.  
  
Dudley munched on some chicken, swallowing to respond. "Just working out downstairs. Piers said he heard about another boxing team. The county one. I can join can't I?"  
  
Suddenly Harry heard a slight thump upstairs. He checked to see if the others heard anything but it seemed none of them had noticed. He felt in his pocket to see if the sneakascope was going off but it was silent (Harry had finally taken Moody's paranoid advice to heart).Then again, Harry thought, it could be broken. After all, since when are the Dursleys trustworthy?  
  
"Of course you can sweetums. We'll go sign up for it tomorrow." Petunia replied.  
  
Vernon turned to Harry. "And you boy? Did you get all those chores done?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's all done."  
  
Vernon looked out the window. "Well it's raining now. Looks like you won't be getting paid for today since the paint on the mailbox will wash off. In fact it looks like I'll have to deduct from your next pay to pay for the paint that you wasted."  
  
Harry grinned. "Actually Uncle Vernon, I covered it with plastic so the paint wouldn't run. It did look a bit cloudy out before."  
  
"What?" He turned a slight shade of purple, then shook his head as though to clear it. "Fine then. Here's your money. Now you tell those.friends.of yours that you're getting treated right."  
  
"Thanks Uncle Vernon. I'll go write them now. Oh, thanks for dinner Aunt Petunia."  
  
Petunia looked shocked. "Um.You're welcome Harry."  
  
Harry rushed upstairs to his room.  
  
The grim laying at the head of his bed thumped her tail. Her giant head rested on the pillow and body taking up a little over half of the bed.  
  
"I don't suppose you grims could talk can you?"  
  
She barked.  
  
"Shhh.I sincerely doubt they'll be thrilled about a giant dog being in the house. Are you another animagus?"  
  
She stared.  
  
"Okay. No? Does the order know you're here?"  
  
She continued to stare.  
  
"Ok.no. So where did you come from?"  
  
She continued to stare.  
  
Harry sighed. "Maybe they have some idea whether grims can be found in muggle areas."  
  
He spent the next ten minutes staring at the paper contemplating who to address this to. Weasleys.they'd make too big of a deal and think Harry was traumatized. He didn't want that. Remus.it was possible that he would become traumatized. Tonks.Possible. But then again Sirius was her cousin. Moody? He would think the mutt was out to kill him. Dumbledore.as if he was about to write him after last year. He understood why but still couldn't help but be bitter about it. Snape.Harry amused himself with the reaction that man would have, receiving a letter from Harry Potter, whom he currently loathed more than ever, about a dog on his bed.  
  
The dog whined.  
  
"What's wrong?" She walked over and shifted her head under his palm.  
  
"You just want some attention don't you?"  
  
Violet eyes stared into emerald.  
  
"Well I don't suppose I could get you to leave."  
  
She gave him a look.  
  
"Right, what should I call you then? Grim?"  
  
She growled.  
  
"Didn't think so. Shadow?"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Blackie?"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Saffron?"  
  
She barked her acceptance.  
  
"Shhh.Unless you want to get kicked out."  
  
She shut up.  
  
"Okay then. Saffron it is. They better let you in Hogwarts"  
  
Saffron, however, was making friends with Hedwig, who ruffled her feathers and flew to her cage.  
  
"It's okay Hedwig." He sighed and gave her a treat.  
  
"Right, back to this letter."  
  
Everything's fine here. The muggles are terrified that someone "abnormal" will show up here so they're treating me alright. Also, how common are grims? One showed up here.in my room actually. She won't leave. Actually she's rather tame. The muggles don't know about her yet (and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible).  
-Harry  
  
He looked at Hedwig. "Well who do you think I should send it to?" She gave a small hoot. "You're right. They're all going to read it anyway. Can you take this to Grimmauld Place?" She hooted and stretched her leg out for him to attach it. "Thanks girl." And she flew away.  
  
"Looks like it's just you and me Saffron." Harry said as he pulled his head from the window only to see the giant of an animal stretched out across his bed once again, well on her way to a good night's rest.  
  
"No way. Either the bottom of the bed or the floor."  
  
She picked her head up and looked at him. Then set her head back down on the pillow. Harry sighed and began pushing her slowly to the bottom.  
  
Ten minutes later, after much muscle strain, Saffron was at the foot of the bed and Harry was prepared for a good night's sleep. He pulled down the covers, sat down, and plopped his head back onto a flat mattress.  
  
"Oh I see how it is. Suddenly you're wide away, ready and waiting to steal my pillow huh?"  
  
He snatched his pillow from Saffron's mouth and rolled his blanket into a ball.  
  
"There. Now will you go to sleep?"  
  
She licked his face and laid down, head on the blanket at the foot of the bed. Harry couldn't help but to let out a smile before he lay down and went to sleep. 


End file.
